Former IndyCar Series driver and F1 TV pundit James Hinchcliffe believes Aston Martin's patience will soon pay off, backing the Silverstone outfit to become a regular points scorer following the debut of its heavily upgraded car at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
Aston Martin endured a torrid start under the new 2026 regulations, entering the Hungaroring weekend 10th in the constructors' standings after struggling with the initial AMR26 car and unexpected issues with its new Honda power unit. But an extensive aerodynamic upgrade package introduced in Budapest offered a glimmer of hope for the team.
While Aston Martin ultimately missed out on a top-10 finish on Sunday, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll finishing 13th and 14th respectively, the pace of the B-spec car has left many optimistic.
Speaking on F1 TV's post-race broadcast, Hinchcliffe explained: "If you want to look at history and you want to look at the statistics, there's nobody better at this than Adrian Newey, and this is what Lawrence Stroll set out to achieve.
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
"This was the dream team he wanted. He went after the best in the business. Honda obviously got off on the wrong foot with these rules. They've got an upgrade coming. We know how capable that group is. They've won a lot of championships, and recently. So, I mean, rough start certainly, but the patience and the hard work could potentially pay off.
"I think they could be regular point scorers by the end of the season."
As of the summer break, Aston Martin is 10th in the constructors' championship with one point, scored by Alonso at the Monaco Grand Prix after several other drivers were hit with penalties. It is 10 points behind Williams in ninth.
Next up will be the Dutch Grand Prix on 21-23 August at Circuit Zandvoort.
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Originally published by motorsport.com —
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